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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26737165">The woman he had loved before</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/erinhateswords/pseuds/erinhateswords'>erinhateswords</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: Legend of Korra</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action, Avatar: The Legend of Korra References, Developing Relationship, F/M, Lin Beifong - Freeform, Linzin - Freeform, Pre-Relationship, Romance, Tenzin - Freeform, action romance, future legend of korra, future linzin, linzin relationship, linzin ship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 10:21:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>900</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26737165</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/erinhateswords/pseuds/erinhateswords</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tenzin just panicking and rushing to work, until he finds a distraction he has missed, for a very long time.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Lin Beifong/Tenzin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>40</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The woman he had loved before</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>It had been 9 years after Pema’s death. Still not too sure how Tenzin single handedly raised 4 airbenders while working as a councilman.<br/>(my first ever piece btw! comment suggestions &lt;3)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tenzin’s alarm barked him awake in the morning as his eyes slowly yet surely fluttered open. The dark bags underneath his eyes were from training Rohan all week. Even though he was exhausted after all that sleep, he peeled himself from his mattress and heftily swooped his legs over the edge of his bed getting an instant flush of the cold wiping goose bumps over his muscular, yet thin pale legs. Tenzin damn well knew hed be late for the meeting unless he got his backside in gear to freshen up. </p>
<p>He slouched achingly over the sink which was way too low for him, but eventually got used to it for the sake of his children. His veiny, branch-like fingers turned on the tap and had begun to splash water which was way too cold for his liking, but did the job of getting him awake for the morning. </p>
<p>For a split second, he looked up at himself in the mirror. His internal scars of Pema’s death were looked upon through his reflection on the other side.For the first time in 9 years, he was actually open to starting a new chapter of no longer internally bleeding. </p>
<p>Even as a Master, Tenzin had struggled with his mental well-being over the years. He had to find what made him pure again. </p>
<p>Motivated, he rushed off, the water had trickled from his defined cheekbones, flowing its way through his wiry yet admiring beard, eventually dripping onto his robe; right on his heart. </p>
<p>                                    ————</p>
<p>About to cross for traffic, a lingering police siren was coming from behind him. The car swerved in front of him and dashed off to his right, its wing mirror was inches away from knocking Tenzin’s poor pinocchio of a nose. His eyes had locked onto the Sato-mobile. But that car was familiar. But the registration was familiar. But the driver was familiar. It cant have been, after all these years, surely not? </p>
<p>He continued walking up until he heard a huge crash that shook the minuscule bristles on his head (which was way overdue for shaving by the way). He couldnt not do anything, so he dashed off on his airscooter to find a huge crowd of people gathering around the two cars on its side, up in flames. The car on the left was about to blow, someone was still trailing out of it, limping, holding a side of their waist. Tenzin was struggling to get through the crowd that surrounded the crash, but the flames were roaring louder than ever. Three screeching beeps had emerged from the car, alerting anyone that it was time for the engine to blow, luckily enough he had a warning. He didnt stop there. He was so close. After barging through the crowd, it was like heaven has opened up. </p>
<p>It was her. He could tell from that earthy scent drifting from her muscular, model worthy body. Heaven really had people on earth then, huh? But he couldnt daydream now. </p>
<p>Tenzin took a mighty airbending leap, angrily dedicated to protect this angel on earth. Its almost like time had slowed down for a second, while he was mid-air. In his periphery he noticed that the car was really on the brink of exploding. His feet lightly landed on the road, over the woman’s helpless body. </p>
<p>Oh, how she crumpled up on the floor reminded him of when he used to reminisce about Lin when he was alone. </p>
<p>Hastily, Tenzin ensured that every inch of the woman’s body was covered, and was so glad he did it in time. White noise had flushed his ears with pain as screams that got quieter and quieter and quieter. The only thing that could be heard was the ticking and flicking of the dancing flames that had stuck to the broken blackened debris along with the only two people by the crash,their hearts, beating very softly in sync. </p>
<p>He decided to attempt to half get up, only to make sure the woman was okay. His arms lightly shaking, he got up from his elbows and placed his palms near her shoulders, almost barely sitting on her lap, because he damned well knew it would be weird if he did. She rolled over slightly, exposing her two faded scars on her right cheek. </p>
<p>“L-L-...Lin?” Tenzin said softly, his words struggled to string together as his breathing became staggered, leaving him quite literally speechless afterwards.</p>
<p>His bottom lip quivered as his stoney eyes lit up to the sight of the woman he had loved before. Lost yet driven to get up, she gracefully opened her eyes. </p>
<p>It was Lin. </p>
<p>Tenzin instantly became numb in her emerald sea of perfection, those memories had been unleashed from his inner vault just from that one look. She was, indeed, a sight for sore eyes.<br/>
Lin looked at him for a split second, then let her eyes avoid the man who broke her heart. She couldnt handle it. Her tensed shoulders, furrowed yet innocent eyebrows and her tilted eyes about to shed a tear, agreed that she didnt want to look at him too.</p>
<p>“Get off me” Lin scoffed, clearly masking her emotions as she usually would. Tenzin got up in a blink of an eye, he was so delayed on her beauty that he ignored her tone and still offered to help her up. What a rookie move.</p>
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